Muskego sophomore grapplers look ahead after great state tournament
This is a matter of looking at the glass either half-full or half-empty.
From the standpoint of Muskego's 112-pound state runner-up wrestler Justin Scherkenbach, it took a little while, but he knows the future is still all ahead for himself and his fellow teammates and classmates, as Jordan Gruettner was also a runner-up Saturday night at 189 pounds and Roland Dunlap earned third at 171.
In Scherkenbach's mind, the glass is half-full and he and his teammates are in the process of filling it to the brim as they are all just sophomores.
It took awhile for him to feel that way after his disappointing, 10-3 loss to powerful Appleton West senior Ryan McQuade in the state 112-pound finals in the Kohl Center Saturday night.
He had dressed and came out to look at the action still going on and all the awards still being distributed. He had collected his thoughts and his first idea was about getting home and then getting back on the mat so he could become even better next year.
"It's a little disappointing," he said, "but next year, I'll be a year older and a year stronger. It'll just make me work all that much harder for next time so I can win a state championship."
"And we (Gruettner, Dunlap and himself) expect a lot for next year. We'll put in a lot of effort in the off-season and start the road towards all becoming two-time state champs."
Scherkenbach, Gruettner and the other Warriors will still have another opportunity at state glory this coming weekend when they take part in the state team tournament at the UW Fieldhouse in Madison.
"We're going into that first-round match thinking that we can win beat Milton (in the quarterfinals) if everyone does their job and wrestles up to their potential," Scherkenbach said. "The end goal is to meet (defending champion Wisconsin) Rapids in the final."
Muskego coach Ted Price likes his youthful team's optimism.
"We're disappointed tonight (in not coming away with state championships)," Price said. "Things didn't quite go our way, but we'll bounce back."
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